Ball stop mechanism for pin game apparatus



B. E. MILLS March 23, 1937.

BALL STOP MECHANISM FOR PIN GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. '7, 1955 March 23, 1937. B. E. MILLS 2,074,512

BALL STOP MECHANISM FOR PIN GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1% I AX r leasing UNITED STATE BALL STOP Bert E. Mills,

Novelty'Company, Chicago, 111., a

of Illinois s PATENT OFFICE MECHANISM FOR PIN APPARATUS Oak Park, Ill., assignor :to Mills corporation GAME ApplicationAugust '1, 1935, Serial No. 35,141

6 Claims. (01.273-121) This invention relates to pin ball game apparatus of the type wherein there is provided openings therein for rea playing board havin ceiving balls which have been projected surface of the board, the played balls being in the board openings by a movable gate member be shifted by the normal obstructing position to to fall through released being deviceby which they point where they may again be or panel which is adapted to operator from a a position which the board openings, the balls so conducted to an elevating are lifted to a projected over the board.

In games of this type position by mechanism, suitable means slide with the gate member.

The object of referred to, a ball stop position to hold a ball lifted to the playing board away remains in is returned to its normal obstructing Other objects and advantages of the invention following detailed detaken in connection with the accom- I have shown the will be apparent from the scription, panying drawings wherein preferred form in have thus far plated applying the principles of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bodied therein;

- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan'and sectional view and a portion of the ball releasing gate member or panel associated therewith, the view being taken looking showing the stop mechanism upwardly from beneath the table; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through the section being taken the stop mechanism, on line 3- 3 of Fig. 1

which the novel stop used is well known in detail togive an understanding of its to the improved stop mechanism. The pin table 5and6,andatop includes side frame members wall 1, the latter including a glass the gate member is usually arranged to be shifted to ball releasing manually operated coin-controlled which may consist of a coin slideand for operatively connecting the the present invention is to provide in a pin game apparatus of the character device which is operative upon movement of the gate member to ball rewhich has been from the projecting mechanism solong as the gate member ball releasing position, thereby preventing play of the game until said gate member pin ball game apparatus having the improved ball stopmechanism emthrough which the operator may view a playing board 9 positioned immediately therebelow. In accordance with the usual construction of over the of this type the playing board 9 is provided with directed to board may pass provided it is not pins l2, it being understood that inclined downwardly the upper end the openings H. A ball is projected onto board 9 by a plunger l3 which is slidably mounted in the front wall of the table frame near one edge thereof, said plunger being provided with a knob M which may the plunger forwardly against suitable spring tension. The ball;is driven by the plunger onto the playing board along a channel l5, which in the embodiment shown, completely circles the directs the ball to the upper end of the board, from whence it may roll downwardly toward the openings II. If a ball fails to fall through one of the openings II, it will roll to the lower end of the board where it will pass openings there'n (not shown), and, regardless of which of the openings the ball passes through, i it is conducted to a point beneath the playing position. board from whence it is lifted by an elevating ually operated plunger l1, the ball moving upwardly along a guideway (not shown) from a point beneath the board into channel IS, the upper end of said guideway being closed by a cap piece l8 which directs channel I5 at a point above plunger l3.

Agate member or panel l9 (Fig. 2) is positioned immediately below playing board 9, said panel being slidably supported between guide strips 2| which are secured to playing board 9. A series of openings. are provided in panel l9 to correspond to the openings H in playing board 9. In the normal position of the parts, which is the position shown in Fig. 2, openings 22 in panel l9 are out of alignment with openings ll l9 being held in this position by coil springs 23 which are connected at one end to a cross bar 24 carried by panel l9, the opposite ends of said springs being secured to hooks inwardly from guide strips 2|.

With the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 2, it will be apparent that a ball which has been directed into one of the openings l I will remain in said opening until panel I9 is moved rearwardly contemrelation panel 8 held a series of openings ll through which a ball 5 of the table downwardly toward 10 be grasped by the operator to pull 15 board, terminating in an inner channel which 2 through suitable 25 device (not shown) which is actuated by a man- 30 the ball into said 35 in board 9, the panel 45 25 which project to bring the openings 22 into registration with the openings H. This movement of panel [9 is acwise direction, viewing Fig. 2. This movement of complished from a coin slide 26 which is mounted bell crank 32 carries link 36 to the left, viewing in the front wall of the table frame, being slidably Fig. 2, until pin 4! engages the end of slot 39 tion being adapted to engage a flange 29 which direction, further inward movement of the coin c s placed in an Op ning 34 (Figleased as hereinbefore explained. The movement formed in coin slide 26, the latter may be shoved of link 36 to the left from the position shown in 20 of said slide will result in panel I 9 being moved l so that a ball emerging into said chute from rearwardly against the tension of springs 23, beneath cap piece 18 (Fig. 1) is free to roll downthereby bringing openings 22 into alignment with wardly against the end of plunger 13. However, openings I I. With openings 22. thus brought when said arm 46 is in the dottedline position in one of the latter is free to fall through panel when the coin slide has been pushed inwardly to 5 -p1'event return of a ball to aposition where it IS moves rearwardly, the upwardly bent portion 60 openings II. If the operator does not release coin tion shown in Fig. 2 by release of the coin slide.

slide 26 after having pushed it inwardly through As soon as the coin slide is removed from hell 9: My improved stop mechanism prevents this .conmechanism thus prevents a ball which has been holding a ball which has been lifted to the playing into engagement with plunger l3 so long as board aw m p u 3 5 long s Op nin s panel I9 is in a position in which it will release 22 a n t at n w t p nin s l a played ball from one of the openings H provided intermediate its ends with a slot 39. prior art,

which receives a pin 4|, the latter being carried What I regard a new a d d i t secure by by an arm 42 which is fixedly secured to crossbar Letters Pat nt is: I

F 2 by a Co Spr 44 Wh ch e te ds between board in position to be struck by the projector, an arm'45. of lever 34 and a fixed point on the said means including a gate member movably frame. 'I'hefree end of said lever 34. carries a supported beneath the board and normally held cylindrical opening 41 formed in playing board through, and manually operable means for mov- 9. 'As shown in Fig. 3, the opening 41 in board 9 ing said gate member to ball releasing position jecting above the bottom wall 48 a distance equal movable by said last mentioned means into the 65 7a ball retaining position, as shown in Fig. 2, the 2. In a pin ball gam the m a on With a 7 7 5 latter beingthereupon pivoted in counter-clockof theprojector, said means-including a gate ball therethrough,

member movably supported beneath the board and normally held in position to prevent passage of a ball therethrough, and manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, of means operated by said gate member moving means for holding a ball, which has been returned to the board, away from the projector while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said holding means including a movable stop arm positioned between the projector and the point on the board at which a ball is returned thereto, means for holding said arm out of the path of a ball rolling down the board toward the projector when said gate member is in obstructing position, and means for moving said arm into the path of a ball rolling toward the projector when said gate member is moved to ball releasing position.

3. In a pin ball game, the combination with a downwardly inclined playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector on the board, and means for returning aplayed ball to a point on the board in advance of the projector, said means including a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally held in position of a for moving said gate member to ball releasing operated by said gate member moving means for holding a ball which has been returned to while said gate member is in tion, said holding means including a lever fulcrumed below the board, a stop arm supported on said lever and projecting upwardly therefrom onto the board at a point between the projector and the point on the board at which a ball is returned thereto, means for holding said lever and stop arm out of the path of a ball rolling down the board toward the projector when said gate member is in obstructing position, and means for pivoting said lever to carry said arm into the path of a ball rolling toward the projector when said gate member is moved to ball releasing position.

4. In a pin ball game, the combination with a downwardly inclined playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector on the board, and means for returning a played ball to a point on the board in advance of the projector, said means including a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally held in position to prevent passage of a ball therethrough, and manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, of a ball stop device for holding a ball, which has been returned to the board,

away from the projector while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said device including a movable stop arm, means for holding said arm out of the path of a ball rolling down the board toward the projector, and means actuated by the gate member moving means for shifting said stop arm into the path of a ball moving toward the projector when said gate member is moved to ball releasing position.

5. In a pin ball game, the combination with a downwardly inclined playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector on the board, and means for returning a played ball to a point on the board in advance of the projector, said means including a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally held in position to of a ball therethrough, and manually operable means for leasing position, of a ball stop device a ball which has been returned to the board away from the projector while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said device including a movable stop arm, means for holding said arm out of the path of a ball rolling down the board toward the projector, and means carried by the gate member and positively actuated by the gate member moving means for shifting said stop arm into the path of a ball moving toward the projector when said gate member is moved to ball releasing position.

6. In a pin ball game, the combination with a downwardly inclined playing board having openings therein through which a ball may pass, a projector on the board, and means for returning a played ball to a point on the board in advance of the projector, said means including a gate member movably supported beneath the board and normally held in positionto prevent passage of a ball therethrough, and manually operable means for moving said gate member to ball releasing position, of a ball stop device for holding a ball which has been returned to the board away from the projector while said gate member is in ball releasing position, said device including a movable stop arm, means for holding said arm out of the path of a ball rolling down the board toward the projector, means actuated by the gate member moving means for shifting said stop arm into the path of a ball moving toward the projector when said gate member is moved to ball releasing position and for holding said arm in said path while said member remains in such position, and means for returning said gate member to ball holding position.

BERT E. MILLS.

prevent passage 

